New Funding To Help End Rough Sleeping In England As Temperatures Drop

Homeless Link Announces 22 Grants Totalling £3,600,000 to Help Ensure That No One Spends a Second Night on the Street.

Anyone can become homeless and life on the streets is damaging and dangerous.

(PRWEB UK) 18 January 2013

Over 2000 people are estimated to be sleeping rough on any one night in England.

The funding follows the launch of StreetLink, a new England-wide hotline and website, which enables concerned members of the public to help connect a rough sleeper with local advice and services. Since the launch on 11 December 2012, StreetLink has been contacted over 4,000 times by the public, far exceeding initial expectations - showing the public’s willingness and desire to help

This new grant will help charities across the country to deliver the StreetLink promise to provide the first step towards connecting rough sleepers with the support available to them.

The funding comes from the £20m Homelessness Transition Fund which is administered by umbrella organisation Homeless Link and funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government to help support the Government’s rough sleeping strategy ‘Vision to end rough sleeping: No Second Night Out nationwide’. Over 30 communities across England have already received funding to help put the right services in place so no one spends a second night out.

Housing Minister Mark Prisk said:

“We have some of the strongest protections in the world against homelessness, and key to this is our £20 million investment to extend No Second Night Out across the country.

“Nobody should have to face a second night on the streets, and today’s cash will mean that local services can ensure no-one has to. And with the addition of new rough sleeping hotline Streetlink, people who want to make a difference can now take a very simple step to connect rough sleepers quickly to the help they need. “

Commenting, Sharon Allen, Chair of the Fund’s Grants Panel said:

“Anyone can become homeless and life on the streets is damaging and dangerous. We know that some people sleeping rough may not be known to local services and not all rough sleepers are aware that advice and services are available.

“We hope this funding will ensure more rough sleepers in across the country get the support they need. You can also help, save the StreetLink number - 0300 500 0914 - on your phone right now and next time you’re concerned about someone sleeping rough, make a call.”

The money will help fund a range of services including accommodation, health, employment advice and additional outreach workers to connect rough sleepers to practical help and longer term support.